exhilaration

noun

ig-ˌzi-lə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exhilaration (audio)
Definition of exhilarationnext
1
as in thrill
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings the lavish spectacle results in one exhilaration after another

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in ecstasy
a state of overwhelming usually pleasurable emotion the exhilaration of victory that spectators get to witness at the Olympic Games

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exhilaration Only a few will experience the exhilaration of victory. — Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026 Nguyen tenderly captures the lightness, freedom and exhilaration of being in water and reigning over the waves, rules of gravity be damned. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 13 May 2026 Pumping iron, and apparently the exhilaration of combat, has got this 67-year-old plenty revved up. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 6 May 2026 The exhilaration of ever so briefly catching a wave was electric. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exhilaration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhilaration
  1. thrill
  2. ecstasy
  3. kick
  4. joy
  5. elation
  6. happiness
  7. euphoria
  8. heaven
Noun
  • There’s nothing quite like the thrill of checking into a hotel.
    — Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In Sterling’s determination to get the Lotus running and to drive it come what may, Tregenza presents the need for speed as a magnificent obsession and the thrill of physical experience as a spiritual quest.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of thrill
Noun
  • The passage is eerily similar to Salinger’s own state of mind while in uniform, specifically on a day that should have evoked ecstasy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Such is the ecstasy, the agony, of judgment, which was never for their benefit.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of ecstasy
Noun
  • Mason Mount went off injured in the first half yesterday, a substitution Carrick said was precautionary after a kick.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Smack made kicks from 33, 35, 38, 43, 45 and 47 yards and missed wide left from 51.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of kick
Noun
  • But of course, that ability to travel with ease—and joy—comes with a foolproof list of travel accessories to make the journey as smooth as humanly possible.
    — Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The joys and thrill of the FIFA World Cup may have come to a close last month, but the passion and camaraderie developed through soccer don’t have to end.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of joy
Noun
  • There’s the elation after finding a great idea, and then despair because no one’s going to talk to you, and then elation when people talk to you.
    — Longreads, Longreads, 23 July 2026
  • The crowd of 35,089 at Fenway Park roared with elation as the team reached its historic feat.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of elation
Noun
  • Researchers scanned dogs’ brains while the pooches looked at images of human facial expressions depicting happiness, sadness, anger and fear.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Pregnancy, like family happiness, is meant to look a certain way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of happiness
Noun
  • This flood of emotions must have ranged from relief to euphoria to mind-splitting fury.
    — Anne Haley, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Growing worries over whether Big Tech’s massive investments in artificial-intelligence technology will translate into profits and whether chipmaker stocks have soared too high in the euphoria around AI have also buffeted share prices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of euphoria
Noun
  • Sounds like heaven to me, but your security posture mileage may vary!
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Its purpose is to take deep panoramic images of the sky, over and over again, every clear night across the next 10 years, making what amounts to a decade-spanning ultrahigh-definition timelapse movie of the entire heavens.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of heaven

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Cite this Entry

“Exhilaration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhilaration. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on exhilaration

Nglish: Translation of exhilaration for Spanish Speakers

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